Flyers Hire John LeClair as Special Advisor to Hockey Operations

Two days after the Flyers announced the hiring of Patrick Sharp as a Special Advisor to Hockey Operations, another former Flyer is coming on board to fill the role.

The Flyers announced on Thursday that they have hired John LeClair as a Special Advisor to Hockey Operations. 

“Adding in John LeClair to work in conjunction with Patrick Sharp and the rest of our hockey operations group will be a powerful combination with their vast hockey knowledge and a ‘team-first’ mentality,” President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones said in a statement. “John has been around the NHL and the game for a long time and knows what it takes to bring the core ethics of our foundation to the Philadelphia Flyers.” 

“We have another great addition to our hockey operations team in John LeClair,” GM Danny Briere said in a statement. “John’s hockey resume speaks for itself. His passion for the city of Philadelphia along with his strong leadership skills will be a key component to building our team back into its winning ways.” 

“I’m extremely excited and honored to be named a Special Advisor to Hockey Operations,” LeClair said in a statement. “I’m most looking forward to being a part of this group and ensuring our number one priority is to bring the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia.” 

LeClair’s role will be similarly defined as Sharp’s, with involvement in all aspects of the hockey operations department with a strong focus on player development with Flyers prospects.

LeClair, 53, was drafted in the second round of the 1987 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, playing the first four-plus seasons of his career with Montreal. This included the 1992-93 season, where LeClair won a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens.

During the 1994-95 season, the Flyers traded for LeClair along with Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne for Mark Recchi and a third-round pick. LeClair spent the next 10 seasons in Philadelphia, recording three straight 50-goal seasons from 1995-96 to 1997-98. He was part of the Legion of Doom with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. In 649 games with the Flyers, LeClair scored 333 goals and 643 points. During his Flyers career, the team reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1997 and made three more conference final appearances in 1995, 2000, and 2004. In 154 career playoff games, LeClair scored 42 goals and 89 points.

He finished his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing two seasons there. In total, LeClair played 967 games and had 406 goals and 819 points.

In 2014, LeClair was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame alongside Lindros. He was also inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

LeClair has recently spent time as part of a summer 3-on-3 hockey league called 3ICE. LeClair was set to be one of the coaches this summer and will continue to coach. The touring league makes stops in Hershey, PA on July 5 and Wells Fargo Center on Aug. 12 for the Patrick Cup Championship.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN and Flyers editor for SportsTalkPhilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.